


Sentry Armor

by GreyLiliy



Category: Tron: Uprising
Genre: Drama, F/M, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-02
Updated: 2013-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-23 05:13:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18542977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyLiliy/pseuds/GreyLiliy
Summary: Paige has a gift for Beck.





	1. Sentry Armor

**Author's Note:**

> First posted on Tumblr on February 2, 2013 and Crossposted to my Fanfiction.net with each respective update. Crossposted to Archive of Our Own on April 21, 2019. Original Author’s notes from the Fanfiction.net posting have been kept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look. I wrote some fanfiction! XD It's short & sweet-just a little flash fiction for my favorite pairing in Tron: Uprising.

"Beck, let me borrow your disc for a second! I have a surprise," Paige said, holding up a slim data stick.

"What sort of surprise?" Beck asked, nerves twisting in his stomach. He set down his wrench in front of the broken bike, and derezzed his safety equipment. _What would she want with my disc? Does she suspect?_ He clicked it off his back, his hand slow and wary. Beck lifted an eyebrow, smirking. "You're not going to play medic, are you?"

Paige snorted, brushing her bangs out of her face. "No, now stop being absurd and let me see."

Beck handed Paige his disc, but held onto it for a few seconds after she gripped it. She put her hand on her hip, raising and eyebrow. He let it go, raising his hands in the air innocently. Beck tried to smile coyly. He had to trust her. Right now he was just Beck.

Paige switched Beck's identity disc on, and flicked through the menus until she reached the appearance settings. Beck tried to watch her, but Paige laughed and turned away so he could only see her slim back. He heard the click of the data stick connected to his disc, and held his breath.

"There!" Paige turned swiftly, clicked off all of the menus in a few quick swipes. "Now turn around."

Beck obeyed, and jerked forward when Paige snapped his disc back into place. Her fingers lingered on his back for a few seconds, before she stepped away. Beck's eyes glowed red for a flash, flickering as he acquired the new data. A marrying click ended the connection as he felt his wardrobe change pixel by pixel from his disc down to his limbs.

Paige unfolded a portable full length mirror, and turned Beck toward it. He saw himself, full body. She smiled. He sucked in a breath.

Full sentry armor, with their glowing red lines dressed Beck. The guard's uniform foreign and stretched over his form. Not a single hint of white or blue. It felt…wrong. Beck opened his mouth, but stopped in his tracks from Paige's smile. She leaned into his arm.

"I knew this would suit you," Paige said. "Do I have good taste, or do I have good taste?"

"How could I argue?" Beck answered. He traced a finger around the circle on his shoulder. "What's the occasion?"

"Since we've gotten so serious, I wanted to introduce you more properly to General Tesler." Paige put her hands on Beck's chest and pushed. He didn't budge, and she backed up, leaving only her index finger tapping his chest. She traced it down the long strip that connected the top circle to the one at his waist. "You needed something more formal for the occasion, and I had just the upgrade. I think he'll like you, even if you did cause all that trouble in the games before."

"Yeah," Beck said. He swallowed. This…wasn't what he was expecting. He thought he'd have more time to bring Paige to the Renegade's side! Not be asked to meet the folks. He forced a smile, eyes darting around the room as the other members of the garage stared at them. At least Zed and Mara were out on deliveries right now. "Great."

"Something wrong?" She asked.

"No, no." Beck said. "Everything's great."

"Perfect. I'll come pick you up at the end of the cycle. Work hard until then, Mr. Mechanic" Paige said. She folded up her mirror, and headed back to the front of the garage doors where a few armed black guards waited in front of a light chopper. She turned over her shoulder and smiled softly. "He'll find you as interesting as I do, I just know it."

Beck waved, wondering if he had time to get to the outlands and get some advice before then. Tron would have to know what to do.


	2. Tron, Mara and Zed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wrote more. I can't help it. I love Beck & Paige, and they're eating away at my brain. XD (It also helps some folks on Tumblr have been doing some awesome stuff in favor of this AU & that's inspiring. I'm inspired by what I inspired-Yay!)
> 
> It's still marked complete though, because unless I write more-it is! XD Enjoy!

Beck smoothed down the waist of his new Sentry Armor mod, the loose skirt an odd addition. Capes, and coat-tail decorations were the norm for higher ranked programs, and the military. It looked wrong on Beck The Mechanic, somehow in a way worse than the red circuit lines. He sat on a bike lift, and rubbed at his face. Paige would be here in less than a quarter milicycle, and he was thankful that the garage had emptied for closing long ago.

And that Able let him sneak out for a trip to Tron early enough that he had time to make it back before Paige showed up.

Tron had been, unhelpful and helpful at the same time. Beck smiled into his hand, shaking his head.

"As long as you don't give away you're Tron, I don't see the problem," Tron had said from his healing chamber. He pulled out of the glowing substance, and slapped a hand on Beck's shoulder. "Just remember that you _are_ Tron."

"So what? I should be gathering intel, or trying to break things behind Paige's back while I'm there?" Beck asked, rubbing his face. Tron's white lines glowed with a hint of pink from his proximity to Beck. At least the weight of his hand felt good on Beck's shoulder. Grounding. "The Revolution up front of my mind, all cycles, every cycle?"

Tron had the gall to laugh at him.

"No," he said, releasing Beck's shoulder to give it a good slap. He grabbed it again, tighter this time with a slight tremor under his fingertips. He shook Beck's shoulder once, squeezing. "Just that you should always remember to be a gentlemen, and that your lady-friend is always right. She's special to you Beck, so treat her that way."

Beck left the mountain base, a stream of red light behind his bike. The sad, yet caring, look in Tron's eyes were all he needed to head back to the garage and let the man be alone for a bit. Tron's words and face sent his head spinning, trying to figure out what it could mean.

Beck flipped a wrench in his hand as he waited on the lift. Bikes surrounded him, in various states of repair, and production. At least he had plenty of time to think while he waited for Paige.

* * *

The _0001001 Club_ was busting with light and moving colors, the drinks flowing and the music blaring. Mara sipped her drink next to Zed, and sighed.

"I know, I know," Zed snorted. He shoved his own glass to the side as Mara cupped hers closer to her chest. Zed knew they were friends, but she just wasn't the same without their third member. They were a party of three, and Zed couldn't be two-people, no matter how much he wanted to be. "You don't have to say it again, and I swear-after he skipped out earlier today, I have no idea where Beck went."

"I just wish I knew where he was going all the time," Mara said. Curfew was fast approaching, and she wanted to get one last dance in. It was the least he could do to show up to the club and see them after work! Beck knew they'd be there. "It's just we never have time to hang out anymore, and we don't see him at work either. It's like our little group is breaking up."

"Personally, I can't blame him," Bartik said, stealing Zed's drink as he invited himself into the conversation. He plopped down on the stool next to the morose program and took a quick gulp. "Considering the alternative, I think he making the right choice."

"Yeah," Hopper added, appearing on Mara's other side. He snickered and adjusted his yellow armband. "If I were dating cmdR_PAIGE, I'd be ditching you guys all the time, too!"

As Hopper and Bartik laughed, and left to bother programs on the other side of the club, Mara shattered the glass in her hand. "What!?"

* * *

"It's nice to meet you, again, sir! Thank you so much for not having me derezzed in The Games when I disobeyed you openly!" Beck said to his reflection in a wall. He dropped his shoulders and shook his head. Meeting General Tesler as Paige's date was starting to be the most nerve-wracking thing he'd ever done-and that was coming from a guy who'd nearly become a stray, jumped off buildings, and put up with a murderous Tron. Beck punched a fist lightly through his face in the reflection. "Yeah, that's a _great_ way to get things started, you bit-head. Next you'll be bragging how many rounds you won against his black guards in the stupid arena."

"You were in the games, too?"

Beck spun around, the Sentry skirt whipping around his waist. Mara stood, breathing heavily before him. Her fists clenched, her circuits glowing brightly, and her eyes glaring. They were wet around the edges. Mara was a fierce woman when she put her mind to it-and right now that _it_ was Beck. She looked as choked, angry, and accusing as her voice had just sounded.

Zed hung in the back, wringing his hands and a good two or three feet away from the angry woman. Beck didn't blame him for the distance. He almost felt sorry for Zed, for what surely had to be a hard time keeping up with her on the way here. Beck had seen what Mara could do first hand, with and without a mask.

"What else haven't you told us?" Mara said.

She marched toward Beck, and stopped a few inches from him. The teal highlights and familiar white lines were gone, replaced by the ugly red of The Occupation. How could he wear those colors? How could he go out with the woman who'd threatened them all? Who worked for that Monster? How could Beck have anything to do with what The Renegade and everyone was working so hard to fight against?

How could he lie to her and Zed?

She slapped him dead center in the chest, her fingers smack dab in the black. She refused to touch the red circuits. They could be infectious. "Next thing you'll be telling me you quit and joined the military!"

"Mara, calm down," Beck held his hands up. He moved to hold her arms, but she backed away before he could touch her. "I haven't joined anything."

"Then why are you going out with Paige?" Mara asked, a snarl in her tone. She waved her hand up and down at the armor. "And why are you wearing that outfit?"

"Look, Paige wanted to make sure I wore something appropriate," Beck said. His mind whirled trying to think of how Mara and Zed could have found out about his date. He really didn't need this right now. "You never know who'll visit Tesler, and regular programs can't be seen there."

"Regular programs, can't be seen? We make you and your new girlfriend look bad? Is that it?" Mara took a step back. Her chest ached, and every inch of her was on fire with betrayal. Beck was supposed to be better than this. She shook her head and bit her lips. "And you were _in The Games, too?_ And I didn't know."

Mara looked back at Zed, his arms by his side, and face stern. She corrected herself, " _We_ didn't know. Your best friends, Beck, and we didn't know that you were in _The Games_."

"I know, it's..." Beck trailed off. He didn't have an answer that would be good enough.

"You, you-" Mara cut herself off. She sucked in a breath and let it out. Beck's eyes were wide, and they were full of regret. It was too much. Mara crossed her arms over her chest, and clung to her arms. Beck was-he was her friend. She. Mara stepped back. "I'm sorry. I...I shouldn't have come here angry. We'll talk later."

"Mara!" Zed cried as the woman turned and headed for the door. He and Beck stood silently in the room as she ran out of the hanger. Her teal hair disappeared from view, and he sighed. "She'll calm down, Beck. Finding out from Bartik and Hopper that you were dating Paige out of nowhere was already a shock. Finding out that you were in The Games on top of all that probably didn't help."

"I doubt it," Beck sighed. He clapped Zed on the shoulder, squeezing the way Tron had done to him. It comforted Beck, so hopefully it would do the same for Zed. He really didn't want to lose them-Beck was already walking a thin line choosing between Paige and The Renegade. He didn't think he could bare to add this into the equation, too. He wasn't ready. "Please understand, I didn't want to lie to you guys, it just...was never the right time to tell you."

"I think, that maybe I need to cool down too before this conversation." Zed sucked in a breath. "I'm going to go find Mara, okay?"

Beck squeezed Zed's arm, his finger brushing a circuit. "Yeah, go make sure she's alright."

"She will be," Zed walked away, pulling out of Beck's grip. He didn't turn around, and kept walking forward with his eyes toward Mara. "It's you I'm worried about."

* * *

Paige entered the garage, a spring in her step. The Light Copter rested just outside of Able's Garage, the blades spinning and ready to lift off any moment. A familiar looking program dared to glare at her while she passed, but she didn't care. Who cared what the waste-of-time with non-functional bike mods thought? Tonight was going to be amazing. Paige was sure that General Tesler would love Beck. He was capable, strong, caring, and Pavel hated him.

What more did she need in a Program?

Paige looked up, and saw the man of the hour cutting a striking figure in the Sentry Armor mod. She lifted her hand to wave, but stopped seeing his face. The man looked liked he'd be side-swiped by a train car. He stared at nothing, his limbs limp, and colors faded.

Paige approached him cautiously, one step at a time. She tapped his arm, and he jerked. His eyes came back into focus, and he smiled sadly. Paige pet one of the red lines on his arm, a slight glow rising from under each fingertip. "Are you alright?"

"My friends found out about my date, and uh, they didn't take it well." Beck watched Paige's fingers on his arm. How such a strong woman had such delicate hands, he'd never figure out. "I'll have to talk with them later, I think."

"That's right," Paige said. She gripped his arm and shook it. She needed to break him out of this slump. For her own sake-she couldn't stand seeing that look on his face-and so he'd be ready to meet Tesler. "They'll come around eventually, and right now we have to get moving. The Copter's waiting."

Paige smirked, poking Beck in the arm when he refused to budge. "Just try and resist the urge to jump out of it, okay? I know we had fun last time but we're on a tight schedule."

"I'll try," Beck said. He couldn't help the following chuckle either. She was trying to cheer him up. No-nonsense, dry-wit Paige was telling bad jokes to cheer him up. Man she was spec-

_She's special to you Beck, so treat her that way._

Beck lifted his hand and cupped her cheek. Tron was right. Mara and Zed meant the world to Beck. But so did Paige-and she was the one here right now. Beck should really be a gentlemen. He leaned in close, and she sucked in a breath. They lips hovered, barely touching but not enough to be considered a true kiss.

"Let's hurry up and meet your boss before I get cold feet," Beck said. He pulled away laughing and skipped away toward the front of the hanger, where not a moment ago his two closest friends had walked away from him. He looked over his shoulder, seeing Paige with her mouth open and her hands on her hips. She looked amusingly angry. "You coming?"

"I'll get you back, just you wait." Paige caught up to his side and grabbed his shoulder to pull Beck down. Paige nipped his lip. "For that, you're sitting next to Pavel at the table."

"Paige!" Beck shouted after her as she ran off to jump into the Copter, smiling like a fiend. "Let's think this through!"

As the copter lifted from the ground, Beck got a good look at Able's Garage from the air, and in the distance he could see the Outlands. His friends, Tron, and now Paige. He was balancing too many precious things. Beck hoped he'd get through this all without one of them shattering into pixels.


	3. Dinner With The Folks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written in April 2013

Beck could handle sitting next to Tesler at the dinner table. The imposing man made his hands twitch, and his disc hum, but he could handle it. The man's attention was elsewhere.

Beck could handle Paige and Able chatting happily about Light Copter mods. The only person who didn't get along with Able was Tron, and Paige was most definitely not Tron. So, no trouble there—it'd be great if Tesler's generals got along better with the Garage. Or Paige getting along with his sort-of father. Even better.

Beck could even handle Pavel griping and complaining, while sucking up to his superiors at the same time. The man had made it an art, and Beck would beat him up later as the Renegade. Every insult would be paid back in full, and he doubted even Tron would lecture him about being petty.

What Beck couldn't handle, however, was Dyson sitting at the head of the table—he invited himself over for who knows what reason—in what he suspected was Tesler's chair. Trying to recruit him for Clu's main ship.

Beck downed his entire glass of energy when Dyson got into an argument with Tesler. It was going to be a long night.


	4. Paige and Tron

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written in April 2013

"He really does think the world of you, you know."

Paige lifted flicked her finger across the floating terminal window, switching to the next surveillance photo. She leaned forward in her seat, stiff and uncomfortable in the room alone with that program.

"I'd catch him staring like a lovesick puppy when he should have been working all the time." A pause, followed by a short command into a comm. She heard static as he switched back to the conversation. "He even put up with that armor you used to make him wear for Tesler."

Paige ignored the nostalgic chuckle, and flipped to the next slide. Her finger moved more forcefully than necessary throwing the window across the room. He really should know better than to bring up Tesler. Paige bit her lip and ignored the burning ache and anger in her chest.

Betrayal was a wound she couldn't live with.

"Recruiting you was his top priority," he said. She heard shifting as he pulled up a new set of windows on his own monitors. "Though, I don't think this was what he pictured. I doubt he intended—"

"He didn't," Paige said. She flipped the main screen off, hiding away the image upon image of Clu's destruction of Argon. Of Beck fighting the occupation with the few stragglers of the revolution while he stayed behind to coordinate. For a healed man, he should have been out in the field. Paige hissed. "I know him better than you."

Tron smiled and pat her on the shoulder. She jerked, and twisted her head. When did he get there? Paige shoved his hand off. He frowned, shaking his head in a knowing way that made her circuits heat. "No, you don't. But you will, soon enough."

Paige crossed her arms on the console. The jagged strips of missing pixels chinked together. She shifted her remaining leg under the console, dragging her boot along the floor. Her other limb, the leg missing from the knee down, sent a jolt of pain up her body.

They didn't have the tools needed to repair the code. Even with all her medical training she felt useless. She rubbed the top of her thigh. Paige was no good in the field. If she were to fight, she'd shatter. Paige couldn't do that to Beck, not now when he loved her so much and needed so badly for something to fight for. So she was trapped here. Paige didn't do trapped well.

"You're not useless, Paige."

She sucked in a hissed breath, and shoved her hair out of her face. How did he always know what she was thinking? It was like some weird second nature. "Why do you even care, Tron?"

"Because Beck does," Tron said. He wasn't even looking at her anymore. "And he thinks the world of you."

"And why do you care about him?" Paige slammed her fist on the counter, a shattering of pixels spreading across the counter. Paige ignored it. "Last I checked you spent all your time cowering in here while you sent him into danger! Do you have any idea how many times Tesler could have killed him? How many times I could have killed him!?"

"But you didn't," Tron said. He gripped his own wrist tightly, staring hard at the monitors. He watched them all. He watched Beck. "And he chose this. He was made for this."

"He was made to be you?"

Tron clicked the screen's lower corner, brining up a shot of Beck fighting against another light jet. "No, not me."

Paige snorted, and looked up. Beck, armed in Tron's light lines. Bright red accents glowed where soft teal used to be thanks to her modifications to his basic light lines and armor. Paige smirked, happy she had left her mark in at least one way. "What then?"

"Better than me," Tron said. He blew up the picture until it covered the far wall. "Like all children should grow up to be."

Paige and Tron watched the screen together. Two people caring about one program more than either could bear. Paige in love, and Tron in the way Tesler should have cared. Perhaps she could accept him, the last of Flynn's soldiers. Maybe forgive him for hiding for so long.

Paige couldn't hate someone who had so much in common. Besides:

Beck thought the world of him.


	5. Beck in Uniform

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written in April 2013

"Wow. Haven't seen you around before, you a transfer from Tron City?"

Beck stopped. He looked around the hallway for the person the guard had to be addressing in such a sultry tone, but saw he was alone. Beck touched the red lines on his chest, and it all hit him. He was wearing the same uniform as the Sentry Guards.

The guard was probably just being friendly.

Beck held up a small box, and smiled. He had the guard's rapt attention and it was a bit unnerving. Beck coughed. "No, just here to deliver some data discs."

The guard looked both ways before stepping away from his post, a swagger in his step that made the energy in Beck's light lines shiver. He'd seen that same hip sway on Paige. The guard did the lean next to the wall, almost boxing Beck in. "Hey, maybe afterwards, you want to go down to the club? I bet we could have some fun."

"That's okay," Beck said. He backed up quickly, using his Renegade Reflexes to duck under the guard's arm, and headed down the hallway with his coattails flapping behind him.

What was with that guard?

Beck slammed into another Program. The box flew out of his hands, but was caught by another in a familiar red and black uniform. She giggled, her mouth a pleasant painted smile under the front of the helmet. Beck held his hands out. "Sorry, my fault. Could I have that back please?"

The female program whistled, and scanned Beck from head to toe processing him like he was a fine drink of energy. His skin crawled. She smiled wider. "Well hello. Haven't seen you before, handsome."

Do all guards act this way!? Beck laughed. It was strained and unattractive—so why did she keep getting closer!? "Just visiting. I really need to deliver that."

The guard tossed the box at him and winked as he caught it, clutching it like a lifeline. "Hope I see you around."

Beck sucked in a breath, and started walking down the hallway again. He only had three more corridors and he could deliver the box of discs and get the heck out of here.

"Hey new guard! Why don't you come say hello!" A group of maintenance programs wolf-whistled from the cantina across from him.

Beck hung his head low and clutched his data discs to his chest. Only three more corridors.

He missed his light lines. They were less flattering.


End file.
